Boating entrepreneur seeks more growth

The boating industry's struggles haven't yet sunk John Giglio's dream to build a boat club with national reach.

Indeed, Giglio believes in the model so much he recently bought out his business partner at the Freedom Boat Club, which sells members boat use without maintenance, storage and upkeep. The Venice-based company runs 11 corporate-owned stores on the Gulf Coast, and there are 50 franchise facilities, including locations in Texas and New Hampshire. “I'm hoping to put a real emphasis on franchise growth,” Giglio tells Coffee Talk.

Giglio bought out his partner, Bob Daley, early last month. The pair bought Freedom from its previous owners in early 2010. Both Daley and Giglio had worked at the company for several years; Giglio began in sales in 2004. Daley, meanwhile, will stay on with the business part-time.